Former Houston Rockets Owner Sells Gramercy Park Penthouse for $44 Million

If the former owner of an NBA team manages to get the current reduced asking price for his luxury home, it will be a real bust.

Leslie Lee Alexander, 79, is looking to sell his sprawling Manhattan apartment for more than he bought it for a decade ago, Crain first told Crain.

The New Jersey native bond trader who bought the Houston Rockets for $85 million in 1993 and sold the team 24 years later in 2017 for a record $2.2 billion paid $42 million for a duplex apartment in 2013. The 11.5-room penthouse at 18 Gramercy Park South is listed for sale for $43.75 million, the lowest price Alexander has tried to sell in years. He first tried to get $49.75 million in 2015, and last attempted $48.75 million last fall.

The apartment is 6,329 square feet indoors with an additional 1,889 square feet of private outdoor space. There are four bedrooms, direct access from a keyed elevator and a 40-foot living room with 63 multi-pane windows, according to a listing owned by Compass agent Jorge Lopez.

(Lopez declined a request for comment.)

The kitchen, located on the lower level, has hand-painted cabinets, first-class appliances, a dining area and, behind it, a staff room with a bathroom, as well as three additional bedrooms.

Upstairs, accessible via the grand central staircase or elevator, there is a large room with a gas fireplace and sink bar, a circular terrace overlooking Gramercy Park, a powder room with windows, a private sundeck and a heated swimming pool.

The master suite features not one, but two terraces (one of which has a Jacuzzi), a “sparkling spa-style master bathroom” with underfloor heating, a cast-iron bathtub and a steam shower.

White oak floors throughout, marble window sills, beamed ceilings and air conditioning.

Building amenities include a gym, wine cellar, “spa” and shared rooftop terrace.